Page 97 of The Holiday Gift

He didn’t think so. She had definitely kissed him back. He vividly relived the sweetness of her mouth softening under his, the little catch in her breathing, the way her pulse had raced beneath his fingers. His gut ached at the memory, especially at the knowledge that a memory and those wild dreams were all he was likely to have from her.

“I think he’s healing very nicely. I would think in a day or two you can let him have full mobility again. Bring him into the office around the middle of the week and I can check the stitches. I’m happy to see he’s doing so well.”

“You didn’t think he would survive, did you?”

“No,” he said honestly. “I’m always happy when I’m proved wrong.”

“You’ve really gone above and beyond in caring for him. Coming out in the middle of the night and everything. I...want you to know I appreciate it. Very much.”

He shrugged. “It’s my job. I wouldn’t be very good at it if I didn’t care about my patients, would I?”

She opened her mouth as if to say something else but then closed it again. Awkwardness sagged between them, heavy and clumsy, and he suddenly knew she was remembering the kiss too.

He sighed. “Look, I need to apologize about last night. It was...unprofessional and should never have happened.”

She gazed at him out of those impossibly green eyes without blinking and he wondered what the hell she might be thinking.

“I don’t want you to think I’m in the habit of that.”

“Of what?”

He felt stupid for bringing it up but didn’t know how else to move past this morning-after sort of discomfort. Better to face it head-on, he figured. “You know what. I came over to help you with your dog. I shouldn’t have kissed you. It was unprofessional and shouldn’t have happened.”

Unexpectedly, she gave a strained-sounding laugh. “Maybe you ought to think about adding that to your list of services, Dr. Caldwell. Believe me, if word got out what a good kisser you are, every woman in Pine Gulch who eventhoughtabout owning a cat or dog would be lining up at the adoption day at the animal shelter just for the perk of being able to lock lips with the sexy new veterinarian.”

He could feel himself flush. She was making fun of him, but he supposed he deserved it. “I was only trying to tell you there’s no reason to worry it will happen again. It was late and I was tired and not really myself. I never would have eventhoughtabout kissing you otherwise.”

“Oh, well. That explains it perfectly, then.”

He had the vague feeling he had hurt her feelings somehow, which absolutely hadn’t been his intention. He suddenly remembered how much he had hated the dating scene, trying to wade through all those nuances and layers of meaning.

“Good to know your weaknesses,” she went on. “Next time I need veterinary care in the middle of the night for one of my animals, I’ll be sure to call the vet over in Idaho Falls. We certainly wouldn’t want a repeat of that hideous experience.”

“I think we can both agree it wasn’t hideous. Far from it.” He muttered the last bit under his breath but she caught it anyway. Her pupils flared and her gaze dipped to his mouth again. His abdominal muscles contracted and he felt that awareness seethe and curl between them again, like the currents of Cold Creek.

“Just unfortunate,” she murmured.

“Give me a break here, Caidy. What do you want me to say?”

“Nothing. We both agreed to forget it happened.”

“That’s a little easier said than done,” he admitted.

“Isn’t everything?”

“True enough.”

“It’s no big deal, Ben. We kissed. So what? I enjoyed it, and you enjoyed it. We both agree it shouldn’t happen again. Let’s just move on, okay?”

As easy as that? Somehow he didn’t think so, but he wasn’t about to argue.

“I should get back to the kitchen. Thank you for taking the time to check on Luke.”

“No problem,” he said. He followed her out of the room, wishing more than anything that circumstances could be different, that he could be the sort of man a woman like Caidy Bowman needed.

Chapter 8

Insufferable man!

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